The escapade in the streets of Rome of certain tricolor rugby players (and the tasting of waffles), on the sidelines of the Six Nations Tournament, has an impact on the whole of French sport.
Arriving in Torun, Poland, theater of the European Indoor Athletics Championships which begin this Thursday, March 4 in the evening, the French staff recalled the rules in force: avoid leaving the hotel as much as possible, reduce the time spent in the lobby ...
"We are rigorous, it is important to respect health rules," insists Florian Rousseau, director of high performance at the French Athletics Federation (FFA).
The French delegation, which traveled by private plane with the Belgian team, was considerably reduced: twenty-six athletes, six coaches and no leader (even the president of the FFA André Giraud did not make the trip).
The presence of some headliners - Renaud Lavillenie (pole vault), Kevin Mayer (heptathlon), Pierre-Ambroise Bosse (800 m) or Wilhem Belocian (60 m hurdles) - allows us to nurture great hopes for medals.
Mayer lost 4 kg
The ticket for the Tokyo Olympics in his pocket and while waiting for the big summer explanation, Kevin Mayer would be well titillating the world record indoors of the heptathlon (6645 points by the American Ashton Eaton).
“I have the potential to do it,” he says.
If we look at event by event, we say to ourselves that I can achieve a big total, but the principle of heptathlon is to chain seven events.
"
The world record holder in the decathlon, who has not participated in a championship since his retirement from the Doha Worlds in 2019, admits to having "incredible sensations".
“It's been a long time,” he said, “since I felt so good physically.
I have 4 kg less compared to the meeting in Réunion
(Editor's note: in December, when he had achieved the Olympic minimums)
, I can't wait to see how this weekend will go for me.
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Lavillenie has "the extra experience"
Renaud Lavillenie is also in Olympic form.
Like Kevin Mayer, the appointment of his season is more on the side of Tokyo, this summer, but he intends to climb on the podium in Torun.
And why not on the highest step.
On Saturday 27 February, the London Olympic champion achieved a “capital performance” by crossing 6.06 m during the All Star Pole Vault in Clermont-Ferrand (only Bubka, Duplantis and himself went beyond this mark in the history of the pole), confirming its 6.02 m at the end of January.
“Crossing 6 m twice this winter is exceptional,” considers Renaud Lavillenie.
I settled my physical problems, I found a rhythm in training, physical qualities that I had lost, but the return to this level was not necessarily obvious, especially as I I'm not very young (34 years old).
To my surprise, I performed faster than I imagined.
I have found a lot of things that allowed me to jump high before, and I have the experience too.
"On his way to Poland, the Frenchman will meet up with Armand" Mondo "Duplantis, 21, the new star for several months in world pole vault (6.10 m this winter).